Six Chemical Classes

Discuss each of the 6 half-hour webinars in a single blog post, separating the post by inserting each webinar's title before discussing that webinar.

There are also two extra webinars on the page, regarding regulation ("Do We Need It?") and green chemistry ("Green Chemistry"). These are not required viewing, but are fascinating and recommended if you are interested in the topics. 

• Highly fluorinated chemicals
• I like how the video said that using these products are convenient, which is true and why we tend to buy them.  They don't note the harmful effects such as testicular cancer, kidney cancer, high cholesterol, fertility, and hormone function.  
• It is crazy to think that it can be found in things like car seats, carpets, carpet cleaner, and furnishings.  These are things that kids come in contact with so often and they are so vulnerable to the risks.  Babies are laying and crawling on the carpets and we use carpet cleaner thinking it is making it safer and cleaner for children when that is just not the case.  
• Antimicrobials
• I was unaware that this does more harm than good.  My first thought is if that is the case, then why do we use this?? It can be found in so many products that people use on a daily basis, and it doesn't even show better results. 
• It is crazy to me that the safety of these products haven't even been tested, yet they are in so many products (and ones that are in such close contact with out bodies such as clothing, water, soaps, etc)  
• Flame retardants
• I think the first question of the video asked was good which was does this do more harm than good?  I think that question can be applied to all of these chemicals.  
• I like how this video mentioned the harm on animals as well.  Maybe this would touch more people because if people knew that their pets were being exposed to and contain an accumulation of these chemicals in their bodies they would care even more.  
• What the video listed as examples of what flame retardants are in I looked around and realized that my home had all of those examples.
• Bisphenols and phthalates
• It is good to know that these don't stay in our bodies for very long compared to the ones above where they accumulate.
• It is crazy that they can be linked to hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety.  This makes me wonder about the children who are exposed to this on a daily basis and have these behavioral issues.  Parents might bring their children in to a doctor to get checked out and the doctor then prescribes medications so now they are being prescribed medications for something that is due to their environment. 
• Solvents
• It seems hard to avoid some of these solvents.  They are in our drinking water and air.  People who work around furnishings, paints, nail salons are probably exposed.  
• An additional factor to think about are the people who are exposed to this most often through their work.  Are these usually people who are already marginalized and work these jobs because of other factors such as low SES?  And now they are being exposed to these solvents which are going to have negative health effects.  
• It is crazy that even low levels have harmful effects
• Certain metals
• The examples of eating foods with mercury, tainted water, breathing cigarette smoke, and breathing in dust are all things that can be hard to avoid, especially when you are not aware.
• I am Japanese and eating a low of raw fish , especially tuna, is part of my culture.  The alternatives such as sardines, talapia, salmon, trout, and anchovies are not as common in the foods that we eat.  I feel this is an example of how culture can have an impact on the foods we eat and how some of may be more exposed than others.